Table 3 At a glance summary of psychiatric disorder in ICU
From: From bedside to recovery: exercise therapy for prevention of post-intensive care syndrome
What is known | |
 High prevalence | Anxiety (48%), depression (57%), and PTSD (50%) in ICU survivors |
 Complex aetiology | Aetiology is complex and multifactorial, involving both patient-specific (e.g. pre-existing mental disorder, age, traumatic experience, pain and discomfort, loss of autonomy) and ICU-related factors (disease severity, sedatives and analgesia, sleep disruption, physical restrain, ICU delirium) |
 Assessment tools | HADS—Anxiety and Depression IES-R—PTSD |
 Variability in long-term outcomes/needs | Symptoms can be short/self-limiting, or persisting and enduring. There is increasing recognition of the need for individualised psychosocial support both within and post-ICU |
 Complex interactions with physical and cognitive impairment | Psychiatric symptoms rarely present in isolation and can complicate physical and cognitive recovery |
Current research/knowledge gaps | |
 Underlying mechanisms | Pathophysiology remains an active area of research, including factors from the ICU environment |
 BDNF and Oxidative Stress | The effective role of BDNF in neuroplasticity and mental health and the harmful effects of oxidative stress are actively being studied, including how ET can promote BDNF and mitigate oxidative stress |
 Impact of physical activity | Outside the ICU, physical activity (e.g. yoga) has reduced PTSD symptoms but needs further investigation |
 Focus on long-term outcomes | More longitudinal studies to investigate the effects of ET and other interventions on long-term psychiatric outcomes are needed |
 Integrating physical and mental health | Future studies need to integrate physical and psychological interventions in a way that is patient-centred and tailored to individual patient needs |